The Shark Report

Ryan Fitzgerald

Friday

Aug 3, 2018 at 3:01 AM

Nauset Beach was closed to swimming for a few hours on Saturday, July 28, after a shark was seen attacking a seal about 10 to 15 feet from shore. It happened on the public section of the beach and the seal washed ashore.

On Sunday, July 29, a drone photographed a great white shark lurking underneath a paddle boarder in the waters off Nauset Beach. The photo was taken by Cody DeGroff.

On Monday, July 30, the Atlantic White Shark Conservancy app Sharktivity recorded 13 great white sightings. One occurred at 10:13 a.m. when state biologist and shark expert Greg Skomal tagged his fifth white shark of the season about a quarter mile off the Nauset Beach south side. It measured 12 feet, according to the sighting description.

At 12:40 p.m. the research boat attempted to tag a white shark at Head of the Meadow Beach in Truro, the app recorded. Swimming was closed for an hour at the beach.

At 1:09 p.m. the app reported a sighting of four white sharks in waters off Truro and Provincetown.

At 2 p.m. it reported a sighting by visitors who saw a shark preying on a seal in Provincetown. And at 3:38 p.m. two 10- to 12-foot white sharks were recorded at Nauset Beach.

The Shark Report will appear each week through the season.

Shark Safety Tips

The Atlantic White Shark Conservancy reminds residents and visitors to adhere to these guidelines:

Do not swim near seals.

Swim close to shore, where your feet can touch the bottom.

Swim, paddle, kayak, and surf in groups.

Do not swim alone in the ocean at dawn or dusk.

Avoid isolation.

Limit splashing and do not wear shiny jewelry, which can look like fish scales to a shark.

Keep your distance (at least 150 feet) from seals, whether they are resting on land or are in the water. It is against the law to disturb them.